The Smallholder Farmers’ Data portrait is a comprehensive, systematic and standardized data set on the profile of smallholder farmers across the world. This Factsheet generates an overview on how small family farmers in Malawi live their lives by using the Data Portrait, putting an emphasis on the constraints they face, the...

Tens of millions of smallholder farmers across Africa are facing a new foe in their fields: the Fall Armyworm (FAW). Newly arrived from the Americas, this insect prefers to eat maize, but can live on over 80 plant species. Farmers are alarmed by the ragged maize leaves in their fields caused...

This publication, Achieving Social and Economic Development in Africa through Ecological and Organic Agricultural Alternatives, is a follow up to FAO’s 2013 publication Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and Sustainability. It gathers in one volume the plenary papers presented during the Third African Organic Conference that took place in...

The agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the backbone of national economies, sustaining rural and urban livelihoods alike, and providing food and income for the majority of households. Recent agriculture growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been solid and has supported improvements in nutrition outcomes and poverty rates. Despite some...

This paper situates the competing visions for the future of agriculture and food systems in the context of key social, economic and environmental challenges. Drawing on both the growing literature on these issues and Trócaire’s experience the paper presents Trócaire’s vision for agriculture and food. It is an introduction to...

Agroecology is best practice: Biowatch's work with smallholder farmers explores the workings of eight homestead farms in northern KwaZulu-Natal, illustrating agroecology best practices through the personal experiences of each of the smallholder farmers. These farmers have shown that the land can take care of its people - if its people take...

In Zimbabwe, FAO has been implementing a four year EU funded project to improve food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural communities through participatory sustainable forest management and value addition to forest products. The video tells the story of a beekeeper named Njovana. Njovana now understands that every tree that...

In Zimbabwe, FAO has been implementing a four year EU funded project to improve food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural communities through participatory sustainable forest management and value addition to forest products. The tough protective shell that houses a delectable delight earned the Marula fruit the name, HARD NUT....

This study sought to understand the impact of contract farming on livelihoods among the small-scale farmers in two study districts of Zvimba and Goromonzi which are located in the Mashonaland Provinces. This was done through examining different levels of income earned between contract and non-contract tobacco growers, food consumption rates,...

This Country gender profile of the agricultural and rural sectors in Ghana analyses gender-related disparities in access to: credit and financial services; technologies and innovations; extension and information services; ownership and control of land and farm enterprises; the effect of climate change on farming activities; and social protection to strengthen the...

In Zimbabwe, FAO has been implementing a four year EU funded project to improve food and nutrition security of vulnerable rural communities through participatory sustainable forest management and value addition to forest products. Part of the project includes assisting the government of Zimbabwe in the formulation of a comprehensive forest...

Mainly grown in the highlands of Kenya, potatoes are an important staple food and cash crop and play a significant role in national food security, nutrition, poverty alleviation and income generation. In 2015, Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) was first detected and confirmed in Kenya, posing a serious threat to potato...

The video is reporting the results of Phase 1 implementation activities of the UN Rome-Based Agencies joint project “Mainstreaming food loss reduction solutions for small-holders farmers in food deficit areas”. Focus of the video is the piloting of recommended solutions in the Burkina Faso (2016-2017)

The focus of the study was to investigate the effect of contract farming on peasant livelihoods in Manhica district, Mozambique. A mixture of approaches which combine qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study. The results show that small scale farmers have no control over cane prices and there...

Throughout history, land has been considered a main source of wealth, social status and power. This publication analyses the impacts of legal pluralism on women's land rights in Mozambique arguing that despite Mozambique's progressive legal framework, efforts are still needed to fully achieve gender equitable and socially just outcomes on...

By engaging farmers, technical staff, and public institutions in capacity building and awareness raising, the project enhanced the recognition, prevention and control of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) and transboundary animal diseases (TADs) among stakeholders. Cattle vaccines were procured and administered, and materials on animal diseases were produced in English and IsiNdebele...

Maize is the predominant crop in Zambia, both in terms of production and consumption, and levels of crop diversity on Zambian farms tend to be very low. The country’s maize-centric food system contributes to poverty, malnutrition, and vulnerability to drought, pests and diseases. Growing a wider variety of nutritious crops...

A new expert group is to be created by the European Commission to provide expertise, advice and possible recommendations on enhancing the role of the EU agri-food and agro-industrial sector in the sustainable economic development of Africa. The first step in the creation of the Task Force Rural Africa (TFRA) is...

The Zimbabwe Land and Agrarian Network (ZiLAN) established in 2012 brings together non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on land and agrarian issues. Membership of the Network comprises organisations involved in research and policy analysis; NGOs working with farmers; farmers’ representative organisations; women’s and youth in agriculture interest groups, and land reform...

Recurrent drought, degraded rangelands and reduced access to traditional grazing lands have left pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) more vulnerable and facing severe livestock feed shortages. During dry spells, pastoral communities suffer from food and nutrition insecurity, as well as shrinking incomes occasioned...